1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for detecting and counting occurrences of specific human motions. The device finds particular usefulness in counting the number of times a fishing line is cast. Other uses of the device, for example, include counting pitches, or swings of a bat, racket or club.
2. Prior Art
A commonly known device for measuring human activity is the pedometer which measures how far a person walks. While pedometers do not actually display the number of steps a person takes, they do detect individual steps and increment a distance measurement in response to each step.
Though pedometers are generally effective, they suffer from several drawbacks. In particular, these devices trigger and increment the distance measurement in response to a wide range of motions other than walking. Because these other motions trigger the device, the resulting distance measurement is not necessarily accurate. Pedometers also can be triggered repeatedly by the same occurrence of a motion thus further diminishing the accuracy of the distance measurement.
Other devices for measuring activity include odometers which measure distance traveled and assembly line mechanisms which count the number of goods produced by an assembly line. Though these devices can provide accurate distance measurements and counting, they typically require an external frame of reference and measure only those motions that are identical at each occurrence.